1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to seatbelt strap implements. Particularly, disclosed is an apparatus for alerting an automobile driver to the presence of a rear seat passenger such as a child or pet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each year about 35-50 babies and toddlers die when they are accidentally left strapped in car safety seats or become trapped in vehicles that rapidly heat up. Vehicular heat stroke tragedies are avoidable, but unfortunately forever change the lives of parents, families, and communities forever. On a hot day an enclosed vehicle can reach over to 100° F. in about twenty seconds. Unnecessary deaths result from drivers forgetting their child and/or pet is left in an unattended, overheated vehicle.
Alarm or signaling systems which detect the presence of individuals throughout the vehicle are known in the art, traditionally taking the form of sensors at various locations that detect an increase in force, e.g. due to the weight of an object on the passenger seats. Other alert systems, specifically for a child's presence in the rear may comprise a cord with magnetic sensor. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,120,499 to Ortiz, a baby cord seat belt-like device, upon detachment, sends an audible signal which would alert and remind the caregiver that a child is still in the vehicle.
Such systems are complex, expensive, and cumbersome. Some drivers unfortunately already feel burdened by having to buckle their seatbelt, so an additional, pre-operation safety step might frequently be bypassed by the hurried driver. There is a need then for a simple, non-electrical and non-intrusive device which can remind a driver of the potential presence of a child or pet in the rear of the vehicle, as follows.